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Cache-22 Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

nudlez: This cache was a lot of fun for us to make. Its sad to see it go, but with a little one and the winter soon approaching we aren't going to be able to check on it anytime soon. Maybe someone else can place a cache in the area :)

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Hidden : 3/4/2007
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

This is our 22nd cache hide. So, we thought that we would use it as an homage to a great classic novel, Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. And dang it people, at least look at the mock cover picture that I made... it took like, at least 10 minutes to photoshop! Oh yeah, read the book and stuf

This novel is humorous and ironic, and introduced the term "catch-22", which is still in common usage. First published in 1961, it follows the protagonist Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier during World War II, along with other characters who interact with him.

It emphasises the idea that there is always "a catch" to every proposal. For example (an excerpt from the book):

There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle.
"That's some catch, that Catch-22," he [Yossarian] observed.
"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed.



My favorite part of the novel was Orr and his crab apples...

(another excerpt):

Orr:"When I was a kid, I used to walk around all day with crab apples in my cheeks. One in each cheek."
Yossarian: "Why?"
Orr (tittering triumphantly): "Because they’re better than horse chestnuts. When I couldn’t get crab apples, I used horse chestnuts. Horse chestnuts are about the same size as crab apples and actually have a better shape, although the shape doesn’t matter a bit."
Yossarian: "Why did you walk around with crab apples in your cheeks? That’s what I asked."
Orr: Because they’ve got a better shape than horse chestnuts. I just told you that.
Yossarian:"Why, you evil-eyed, mechanically-aptituded, disaffiliated son of a ****, did you walk around with anything in your cheeks?"
Orr:"I didn’t walk around with anything in my cheeks. I walked around with crab apples in my cheeks. . . ."
Orr giggled. Yossarian made up his mind to keep his mouth shut and did. Orr waited. Yossarian waited longer.
"One in each cheek," Orr said.
"Why?"
Orr pounced. "Why what?"
Yossarian shook his head, smiling, and refused to say.
"It's a funny thing about this valve," Orr mused aloud.
"What is?" Yossarian asked.
"Because I wanted--"
Yossarian knew. "----Why did you want--"
"--apple cheeks."
"--apple cheeks?" Yossarian demanded.
"I wanted apple cheeks," Orr repeated. "Even when I was a kid I wanted apple cheeks someday, and I decided to work at it until I got them and by God, I did work at it until I got them, and that's how I did it, with crab apples in my cheeks all day long." He giggled again.
"One in each cheek."
"Why did you want apple cheeks?"
"I didn't want apple cheeks," Orr said. "I wanted big cheeks. I didn't care about the color so much, but I wanted them big. I worked at it just like one of those crazy guys you read about who go around squeezing rubber balls all day long just to strengthen their hands. In fact, I was one of those crazy guys. I used to walk around all day with rubber balls in my hands, too."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you walk around all day with rubber balls in your hands?"
"Because rubber balls--" said Orr.
"--are better than crab apples?" Orr sniggered as he shook his head. "I did it to protect my good reputation in case anyone ever caught me walking around with crab apples in my cheeks. With rubber balls in my hands I could deny there were crab apples in my cheeks. Every time someone asked me why I was walking around with crab apples in my cheeks, I'd just open up my hands and show them that it was rubber balls I was walking around with, not crab apples, and that they were in my hands, not my cheeks. It was a good story. But I never knew if it got across or not, since it's pretty tough to make people understand you when you're talking to them with two crab apples in your cheeks."

Yossarian found it pretty tough to understand him then, and he wondered once again if Orr wasn't talking to him with the tip of is tongue in one of his apple cheeks.
Yossarian decided not to utter another word. It would be futile...

Anyways, in case you're wondering: If everything's got a catch, what's the catch to this cache? Well, It's not winter friendly, but we went ahead and hid it in the winter anyways. Of course, we hid it after a big snowfall and the temperatures are warming up, so you can probably just follow our footprints to the cache. We thought we had this well thought out, but DANG! I guess there's always a catch...



We thought that this would be a good cache to launch our BarFly TravelBug, who wants to party with people and collect pictures doing so.

As with all of our caches, feel free to contact us with any questions or for hints, and please accurately post DNF's.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)